Beaumont ISD spending soars; basketball arena may be next

ENTERPRISE OPINIONS

Published 12:00 am, Saturday, August 21, 2010

Last week's crucial meeting of the Beaumont ISD board of trustees was more noteworthy for what didn't happen than what did. Board members set the tax rate for the new fiscal year, and they wasted little time in approving a 5-cent rate increase along with generous - and disproportionate - raises for employees. (Administrators got $1,500 each while teachers got only $1,000.)

What was missing was any awareness of the tight economic conditions that many residents and businesses in Beaumont are dealing with.

Absent were the tough choices made by the Beaumont City Council and Jefferson County commissioners as they struggle to approve budgets without tax increases.

For the school district, a tax hike was inevitable as it issues bonds for the $388 million proposal that voters approved in 2007. But the 5-cent jump to $1.31 per $100 valuation is going to be hard to handle for many taxpayers.

Another key point: Superintendent Carrol Thomas estimates that the district will have about $10 million left over when construction from the bond issue is completed.

That's nice. What's not so nice is his preference to build a basketball arena at the athletic complex instead of returning that money to taxpayers.

The school board needs to slow him down on this issue and start asking some obvious questions:

Is it legal to spend bond money for something not approved by voters? Does the district truly need a new centralized basketball facility? If it does, could it rent Ford Park's arena or Lamar's Montagne Center instead?

After the South Park and stadium naming fiascoes, the school board needs to re-establish trust with voters. This would be a real good place to start.